Decorating for Free and Odd Jobs

I've been quite busy this week without actually going very far, I decided that I wanted to repair and paint my oldest son's bedroom ceiling but then of course I had to paint the whole room.  Fortunately we always put away any odds and ends of paint in the garage so I had the white paint for the ceiling and some masking tape.  I also had the two colours left that I originally did his room in a couple of years ago, a mint green and a sunrise (opposite walls).

As I was on holiday from work I decorated over a few days, I did the ceiling one day and coving, the orange walls the next and the green walls today.  I also scrubbed down all the fitted wardrobes, the window surround was done last week.  I always try to something like this when I am off work, last holiday I rubbed down the living room and dining room floors and varnished them. This ensures I don't have to pay anyone to do jobs I am quite capable of doing myself and by breaking them down they don't feel as daunting.

Earlier in the week a neighbour also gave us  load of purple slate that he wanted he rid of because he had taken all he wanted out of the bag. This was great as we have that on our garden but it is wearing thin. (You know picking up after dogs, you always get a bit of slate with it!)  So I carried that around the back bucket by bucket as the wheel barrow won't fit through  the gate.  I'm really pleased as we were going to buy some, he wouldn't take anything for it either.  Earlier this year we gave him some vintage computer games that were my brothers a big box and a bag full and he was really pleased with those so nice gestures do flow around people.

Back to the decorating and I was going to say that when I decorated youngest son's bedroom I had some white paint left and I just bought some tester pots in a bold blue and made a really good shade of blue for his room, not free but nearly.  However people always have odd tins of paint left so if you are in need I am sure a few relatives may have odd leftovers of white left that they may be happy for you to take and if there is a colour in there why not experiment?   Paint is such a difficult thing to dispose of and not great for the environment so it is really for the best that we use every last drop once it has been manufactured.

Anyway after the DIY not a lot of sewing going on this week.  I did resize the charity shop dress that I bought...

I altered the shoulder by this much.

I have taken it in by this much at the sides but forgot to take a picture as I wore it Easter Sunday straight after I fixed it.

I made a new little coaster as my youngest dog keeps eating them as this is apparently a really fun game, quick chase me I have your coaster!

A bit of elephant fabric there for binding, remember I use every bit.

Oh and a birthday card, recycled bits of course.  Fabric from previous projects, the ribbon from inside a blouse (you know those annoying hanger tabs at the shoulder) button from an old shirt and recycled envelope and newspaper.  It has a green insert to write on.

Other things I have been up to this week; I have just finished 'Miracles' by C.S. Lewis, as  a friend of mine said he is hard going. I enjoyed it but I feel I will need to review it again, quite heavy stuff but so well written.

 I am loving listening to Switchfoot the band, I have heard them  before but lots of listening this week while decorating and now I am a huge fan, with a CD  on order. ( I know such a mum ordering a CD but I like them for the car.)

Also watching  a new series 'Department Q' BBC Four, only three of them but all feature length, Danish and very good acting.  Only watch if you are interested in crime dramas as they are quite intense in parts.  Maybe I will get more sewing done over the weekend.

Slow Fashion

This post is about something that tends to come naturally to anyone who sews many of their own clothes and that is slow fashion.  I'm sure it is the same for knitters, those who crochet and also those who thrift a lot of items through charity shops.   If you are creative then the process is part of the charm, you know where the item was produced (but not always the fabric) and you know that you have played a small part in it.  There is also the fact that if you have spent many hours producing a garment you will be less inclined to quickly discard it as a passing fad.  You have invested your time and energy into it so it means more to you.

Unfortunately this is not the case for many items of clothing, they are in one season and out the next.  Wearing out of season clothing is viewed by some with scorn and snobbery with no thought for the impact that  all of this is having on the environment or our fellow human beings slaving away to mass produce cheap fashion.

Some people may think well it's not that cheap I buy from expensive stores, well it still is really when you think about it.  Even if you shop high end, factor in the farming of the materials, grown or animal based, the cleaning, dyeing, stitching and shipping.  Anyone who makes their own clothes knows that the labour alone amounts to hour upon hour for some garments and that is without the rest of it, so yes mainly your clothing is cheap!

Years ago people used to buy made to measure here in the UK, they visited a tailor or dressmaker occasionally and buying an outfit was a big purchase for many.  While it is wonderful that we are able to buy for ourselves without experiencing such hardship it is also a shame that we have lost that sense of respect for the labour that goes into every item we own.

I appreciate that when I buy new fabric many of these same principles apply, it is not something I buy often and I use every last bit of it, I also try to source second hand and repurpose whenever I can.

Top made from a charity shop dress.

There is an interesting article here at Not Just A Label, still a more in the theme of mass fashion production but maybe leading things the right way.  Of course there is always going to be a need for inexpensive clothing but often it is not a need that drives people to buy new but  the desire to own the latest trend,  just something to think about.

Recycled Photo Frame

A while ago I bought this small photo frame from the charity shop for a pound.  It has been sitting around my sewing table for some time and last week I remembered this little quote I had written in my diary.  I can't remember where I got it from I think it may have been pinterest, anyway some playing around with lettering and this is what I did...

I wrote it on the green paper from the inside of a card, it will sit on my table to remind me of these things.

Things I am enjoying this week...

Free exercise,  I have been doing some every night using the internet, there are lots videos you can watch for every ability.  I am doing something every day for 30 days then I will see if I can keep it up after that.   

The Last Kindom, really good I think and there is not a great deal I am interested in on the TV at the moment. 

Light evenings, what a difference it makes to have  more daylight.  I can take the dogs for an evening walk and see where I am going, sometimes even  without a jacket. (Oh little things)

The book 'The Whole Wide Beauty by Emily Woof, I just picked up three books from the library this week without spending too much time pondering and it seems to have paid off.  More on this when I finish it but so far so good.

Singing in the car on the way to work, I'm sure I look silly sometimes but who cares.

( This post has been edited  with regards to exercise, I don't want to encourage anyone to take up exercise that may conflict with their faith.)

So Much Space

I have been thinking recently about how we view and use our space or more to the point about how I do.  After talking to my husband about putting in another bathroom downstairs we decided against it, the reason being that we manage with the one and we have done so for all this time so is there really a need?  I know there are probably a few wondering how they would do without their second or third bathrooms but it really is just a matter of what you are used to and how you use things.

My sons are now teenagers, the oldest is working and three of us like to shower in the morning and the youngest likes to do so in the evening.  I am first up and out, oldest son goes in straight after me closely followed by the youngest to wash and do his teeth and my husband goes in after that.  It works, we have the occasional shout of hurry up but mostly it is a good system.

But it is not just bathrooms though is it, we seem to be conditioned to believe we need more space when actually we probably spend most of our time in the same areas.  Of course if you have a larger family then you will need more space than a childless couple but sometimes it is about storing stuff.

While out walking yesterday we saw this property for sale and it is also yesterdays picture of the day.

Yes a church that you can live in.

Now I'm not sure if I like the idea, when we got home I looked at the pictures of the interior and as you could see from the outside the building is vast.  Inside while nicely done there is no sense of cosiness, it is just so big.  I would also imagine the upkeep on the exterior would be a money pit but someone will no doubt buy it because they are attracted to the amount of space it offers, which also needs to be heated, cleaned and lit.

We have talked about the possibility that we may move one day when we retire but if we do it would be more about the outlook and the location than the size of the property.  I watched a Ted talk by Graham Hill here where he show off his apartment designs, every item is multifunctional and you make the most of the space you have.  While I wouldn't want such a minimalist look the ideas are super and certainly give us something to think about in our ever expanding population.

So I think I will embrace my one bathroom and be grateful that my sons accept our little rota without complaint and also that I only have the one bathroom to clean.

Sunny days

We have finally had a bit of sunshine this week so I managed to get  a couple of pictures without a grey sky, yesterday and today.  I went out early for dinner with friends last night so  I'm posting that picture now.

This was from a distance so hazy due to zooming in on a non powerful camera,  nice to see the horses in the fields.  There is a field nearby with alpacas so I may have to wander over and take a photo of them one day next week.

This one is from my walk today I was under the cover of trees so it appears darker than it was.

 Other than getting out with the dogs and doing the food shopping I've not been up to much today but I have decided that from this week I will be saving my receipts from my food shop.  Just to get a clearer idea over the course of a year and also because I am fed up of hearing how our food prices are going to go up so I thought I would monitor it myself.

I don't really buy anything in bulk, I wonder how much could be saved this way so I am going to look into that. I keep the food shop pretty reasonable but there is bound to be somewhere I can improve, I don't have a big freezer so it can't be too much frozen stuff but otherwise I'm curious.

Random thoughts

Well  after taking another photograph straight after work today I have decided I will have to start and stop on places on my way home or all my pictures will be in the same area. That said it is half term next week so I can get out in the day to take daylight pictures so that will be better.  I do quite like a bare tree though, there is something beautiful and earie about them.  So here is todays picture I am not going to title them as I can never think what to title my posts.

I have just started reading  After You by Jojo Moyes which is the sequel to Me Before You.  I have got through a few books this last few months and I have started a little journal to document what I have read as I often forget over time what an author was called unless I have  read a few by the same person.  This can be annoying and also as I have a lot from the library so it is good to look back on, I will share more on this tomorrow.

At the weekend I had a disastrous attempt at puff vegan GF pastry, well I say disastrous but I ate half of it so it can't have been that bad but it wasn't mouth watering soft puff pastry either!  I adapted a recipe I saw and I thought it was all going really well as I rolled it between the plastic sandwich bags and it didn't fall apart.  It also didn't rise or go golden and was quite firm, shame as I was so looking forward to it.  I just added my fancy garlic mushroom and nut filling and ate it anyway. Gluten free flour Grrrr.

Time

I listened to a really interesting Ted Talk this morning while I was doing the ironing about how we use and define time.  You can find it here Ted Talk.   What was really interesting about this particular talk was that the main idea was that we have plenty of time all of us no matter what we do for a living or what our family commitments are.  What saps our time as we see it is that we feel we are busy with things we don't enjoy or that we feel are not of our choosing.

The point of this talk was that we always choose how we spend our time, our jobs, families and our hobbies were all the result of choices we made and we can choose to make different choices.  So this was a very different approach to looking at time rather than trying to save minutes here and there.  I don't think there is anything wrong with trying to save minutes but if you choose to cut an activity you can possibly save hours. 

This was really interesting to me because there have been many times when certain  people have repeatedly said they were too busy to make plans or whatever, while I on the other hand have said yes even when over stretched or sometimes even feeling unwell.  So yes we can all choose what we commit our time to or not.  If you are really unhappy with your career maybe it is time to move on, if you hate your keep fit class don't go! Choose a different activity, switch off the T.V, stop whatever you don't enjoy.

A lot of what we do is just habit and the sad thing is we don't always make a habit of the things we love but only the mundane.  I have been reading lots of posts by bloggers who are taking up running, swimming or retraining, I have a colleague who has just joined a gym so she can do all the different classes.  Choosing to make time for these activities will determine whether or not they become  habit.

The reason I watched this particular Ted Talk today was as a result of a little habit I have set myself that combines a dull activity with one I enjoy. So far this year I have stuck with the habit of ironing on a Sunday morning. Rather than this being a chore it has become a slot of time that I enjoy because I place my tablet on the side with my little speaker, select a theme and listen to Ted Talks on that particular subject.  I am hearing new ideas every week and it feels like a good use of my time, I know a lot of people who say they never iron but I cannot get this concept, I have a husband who wears shirts and now a working son, plus many of my clothes do not come out the wash wrinkle free so how??  I might also add I don't use a tumble dryer as they waste energy, wear clothes out  and so on.

One habit I have decided to try for thirty days is to take a picture each day, this idea also came from a talk and it will be just point the camera and shoot.  So I apologise in advance for blurred, out of focus pictures I am just going to go with it for a month then decide after that amount of time if I want to spend more time improving .

Here is todays picture, dark all day with flurries of light snow.

New Start

Hello I hope everyone has made a good start to the year in a positive frame of mind, that is tricky I know with all these  viruses still floating around.  I didn't get much making done over the Christmas period other than a set of napkins for my Christmas table.  I was really pleased with them though as all they cost me in fabric was a pair of pillow slips from the charity shop for £1.50.

 I quickly whipped those up on Christmas Eve, I also saw this name place idea on pinterest so just copied the image free hand and coloured them...

So that was that sorted I don't spend a lot on dressing the table just a few candles, a table cloth and some tinsel etc and it will do.  I have a real annoyance with crackers as well, I used to buy them when the children were little but they are such a waste of paper and money so now I don't bother.

I also made  some 3D paper snow flakes to hang from the light fitting above the dining table and I have left those up as I have decided that is a winter themed decoration not a Christmas one.

So much you can do with  simple piece of paper, this is something I want to explore a bit more this coming year I think. Paper crafts have such low costs if you stick to recycled materials and stay clear of all the fancy tools and machines.

I still haven't made up the red and black check fabric I bought in December so no fabric purchases for me until that is complete, but I do have a couple of sewing magazines that I will share another day.  They are not something I usually buy but my husband bought them for me for Christmas and there are  a few nice ideas.   I had thought about a subscription to one but I am still undecided on that, I think I mainly like the idea of the magazine coming in the post once a month as a little treat.  If I tell myself I can just go and buy one anytime I never will.

This Week a Trip to the Ballet

This has been a nice week, starting to recover from the nagging cough and finally getting some energy back has helped. Earlier this week we went to see Snow White by the Vienna Festival Ballet I really enjoyed that, we don't go out much but we have seen this company five times now over the last three years and it is something I look forward to.   I have already got my tickets for the next one...

It is a small theatre so it is nice, a relaxing few hours in a busy week.

A bit of wonderful news is that my oldest son has secured himself a trainee I.T position, quite amusing was that he wasted no time in handing in his notice at his part time job, but it will be good to see him doing something he enjoys.  He also came home with these lovely flowers for me. Feeling very proud.

It has been a lovely feeling around school with all the children rehearsing for the play and getting excited about advent calendars.  Sometimes you just need to be around children to see everything in a better light I think. The grown ups I hear talking about stress and how they are not ready and are never going to be.  The children just want a bit of sparkle and fun, I don't think it has to cost a fortune to give them that, that meal we will all eat on the 25th doesn't have to be perfect, and to the grown ups out there do you all need to buy so much? Smile everyone and relax.

Speaking of buying I bought a piece of fabric last week for £4, it is red and black so that will be my Christmas day dress, or winter dress just when I decide what to do.  I am thinking usual skater style that I like to make but I want to add some detail somewhere.  That is my personal contribution to the consumer madness. Ha!

I have this in a blue that I made last year and it sews up really  nice.

Books, Cookies and This week

There have been a couple of books finished off this week, one of them being Madam Bovary which I bought the other weekend when we went away.  I cannot make up my mind on this, yes of course it is good writing but the very idea that women were arguing at the time because they believed this character was based on them makes me so sad.  That such a dreadful, pitiful woman should spark such familiarity.  As you can tell I had no sympathy for the character at all, in such times there were many women and girls who had despicable lives. The day to day life of Emma to many would have been one of comfort, if lacking in opportunity and yet from beginning to end she simpered and complained.

I'm sure there will be many that disagree but for me while I had to read on to the end, it was more for the resolution of the story rather  than for Emma.

The next book I finished was no regrets on Sunday.  This was an improving book, some good tips some overdeveloped ones also.  I didn't do the activities as there were so many of them and they are so in depth! I only picked it up in passing and read it quickly,  in all it was a bit gimmicky, with the odd bit of wisdom but then I suppose these kinds of books all have a different voice and feel so as to appeal to us all.  So we are probably going to clash with some of them.

I am Malala is the one I just started, I have been wanting to read this one but felt it would be hard and upsetting while inspirational.  As an educational campaigner Malala was targeted and shot by the Taliban and later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  What an amazing young lady.

Whatever the awful germs are that are circling  at the moment I steel feel a bit like a zombie, tight in the chest, wiped out at the end of the working day and it seems so do lots of other people. Bring back the sunshine.   This evening I needed a bit of energy so I made these almond and dark chocolate cookies with Gf Flour and ground almonds.  I will post the recipe another day as all I did today was throw it all in the blender, shape and bake for 12 minutes.

They taste good enough, I may add a little soya milk next time to the mix.

Now that it is cold and dark I like to be home and to shut the cold outside, there doesn't seem to be a great deal on the T.V at the moment.  It seems a lot of the  dramas I was following have now ended. although I have been enjoying 'The Missing' harrowing though it is at times.  Even the BBC 4 subtitled dramas I like appear to have dried up as well.  Feel free to let me know if there are any good dramas I have missed, I will get them on catch up.

Change, Work and What if...

There must be something odd in the air at the moment as everywhere I turn there is someone having a change of direction, change of career, change of location even on the blogs I read people are hinting that it might be time to learn a new skill, retrain or move on.  With our working lives stretching on for longer now it is not surprising that many feel they ought to be doing something that brings them more joy.

A cute idea but working with mad brides is not for me.

I have in the past toyed with the idea of doing more in the way of sewing, and while I enjoy it there is always that doubt that if it became the main source of income would it take all the pleasure out of it? 
A couple of years ago when one of my friends got married she bought me a book called Handmade Weddings.  I had made a couple of table runners for her and while she was researching her ideas she told me that I should do that kind of thing, banners, bunting and little gifts, favours and the kinds of things that sell at wedding fairs.  Well I didn't go for that idea but the book is lovely and has some cute ideas for gifts.  I know this as I dug it out for a ponder earlier.  I am very happy in what I do (mostly) but it is good to be reminded that there are many skills to draw from and that we are not stuck in any situation should our feelings change.

Then when I checked my email I had one from Do what you love for life this particular post was not particularly encouraging you to change what you do but rather to explore and re-evaluate the value of it in terms of time and personal cost. The author was explaining how she had recently done a used baby item sale, spent a whole day on stall, hours of repackaging and preparation and missed out on a day of her weekend all for £50 which did not include her transport costs. 

Depending on your situation I suppose you have to calculate what your time means to you and how much you are prepared to give, how much time that can never be replaced.  This was the reason I chose to reduce my hours last year when my father was ill and I have kept them the same ever since. 
I think it is good to have options, to keep learning and be aware of what you enjoy and what skills you have, but for now I enjoy going to work and sewing as a hobby. 

Now after that strange diversion I would like to share the gift ideas that came to mind when flicking through the wedding book.

This lovely favour could be a pin cushion.

These button holes would make good brooches with a proper clip on the back.

I love the ruffled purse, in a deep colour it  would make a great clutch bag for party season.

A few ideas came from a quick glance at a forgotten book, it just shows there is inspiration everywhere.

Flow, Books, TED Talks and Stretching

That is quite a title for a post I know but I just didn't know where to start. You know how sometimes you find yourself saying that you haven't been up the much when people ask.  Not that you haven't done anything but rather that you feel you haven't been anywhere noteworthy, so people will  not be interested. 

Often when I am asked at work if I've done anything at the weekend I have said no, nothing much, when really I have been out walking with the dogs a number of times, done all the house related stuff, read a book or two, made a new dress, cooked all out meals (sometimes a new recipe) listened to music, sometimes practiced Spanish or guitar and perhaps any list of other things that may vary from week to week.  However because I have not been anywhere I feel compelled to say 'nothing much' I am very happy being around home and I do like to go out too, I think I need to look at my self talk in that area perhaps.

So this week the book I have loved the most is Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  Fantastic and thought provoking I thought and I have the strange feeling I have read some if not all of it before (must be getting old!).

So if you haven't read the book flow is the state you are in when you are completely absorbed in a task and don't notice the passing of time, therefore you are in a state of contentment.  This is a rather simplified description so you will have to read the book to get the full picture, but basically we have all been in that state at some point.  For some it could be washing the dishes but for others making music, art, playing with the children, it doesn't matter the activity as it is different for everyone.  It does state later on in the book that improving activities give the greatest scope for this feeling and that if there is a certain amount of difficulty to overcome the pleasure is greater.

I found it interesting but not surprising that difficulty in an activity is better than say watching T.V, because although we all enjoy T.V sometimes it probably doesn't add to lasting memories or a sense of achievement.  It also relates well to something we have been discussing in school which is the growth mindset.  The book Mindset by Carol Dweck is a good one to read on that if you are interested.

I have also nearly finished A brief history of tractors in Ukranian.  This book I have been  dipping in and out of so more on that later.  I read a post by Nina Sankovitch the other day who vowed to read a book every day for her blog for year, you can find her blog here, go take a look I am inspired to up my game in reading more.

While still on the subject of books, a really good talk I saw on TED was again titled Why I read a book a day by Tai Lopez.  He explains how he got lots of advice as a young man in search of direction from reading the ideas of great people  who had succeeded in various fields, he goes on to state that this information is there for all of us, so we should use it to our advantage.

There have been quite a few TED talks watched this week and not while sitting passively either.  I got it into my head that I am not flexible enough, well it's not just in my head I'm not! So I have set myself a target to do some stretching exercises everyday, I do some when I get up then some later in the day. The ones I do later in the day I have found are an ideal partner to watching a TED talk while I am on the rug trying to hold a position.  I think exercising alone can  be dull so this is the perfect use of my time.

Anyway it is that time of day so I am off to do some of that stretching now.

Summer Declutter

The decluttering goes on and I am beginning to wonder how we ever get to this point with so many items in our homes and cupboards.  I met my friends the other day for lunch and dropped off two bags at the charity shop on the way, yesterday I  sorted some more and then dropped off a further six bags of clothing!  I am not finished by a long way, there are still more of my sons outgrown clothes to go through, plus games, books etc.

I have read a few articles on this that suggest that it is better for your well being to let go of items however my nature has always swayed towards saving things for projects that may come in handy.  While I will always keep a box with craft items such as papers, card and fabrics in, my days of saving fabric passed on from others are over.  With each bag of unwanted items that leaves the house I feel a little lighter and even though they were out of sight in cupboards, it just goes to show that there is a weight associated with our possessions.

So I will continue by doing a little each day getting rid of the bulk of the outgrown items and then beyond that I will continue to get rid of one thing each day that I,  or we don't need or use.  I read somewhere of someone who did this  while going minimalist. Now I know I won't be taking it that far (I have trouble even travelling light!) but I will try it until it becomes impossible.

It has been amazing weather this week but it has also completely wiped the dogs out so walks have been in the evening. Today was a little cooler so we managed to get out for a walk at teatime.

My other two dogs are with my husband who was taking the photo.

When the weather is this good who needs to travel.

Also I sat outside to eat, you have to make the most of these lovely days.

Charity Shop Finds and Cruelty Free Hair Care

I have had quite an absence here again with the main reason  being I haven't really had any new makes to share. There have been a few new recipes tried out but in the teatime rush they have been whipped up and consumed before any snaps have been taken and before you know it,  it's a new day!

So now the summer is here I hope to be a bit more organised and not leave so long between posts. On the topic of being organised I began to declutter yesterday, I have taken two large bags full of clothes to the charity shop and there is still more to follow.  I bought the two items I am about to share with you a few weeks ago but even then I had in the back of my mind that quite a few things needed to go.

I don't like waste so I always try to get a lot of wear out of my items or modify them but there does come a time when some things are no longer looking their best or you just shove them to the back of the wardrobe all the time.  When this happens as it did to me, a big sort out is in order.

Quite a few of the items came from the charity shop to begin with or were handmade, there was a time when I couldn't let handmade stuff go but I had to get over this or have no hanging room.

Here are the two dresses I picked up for £4 a piece...

I like this as I have another floral one and they do not require an iron.

Now this one will need tweaking as you can see how it hangs on my mannequin, the sides need taking in, shoulders taking up and some adjustment under arm but then it will be fabulous.

So really when I keep finding super items like these I don't have much of a need to make anything just resize. This is something I have been doing for a few people recently and in particular with maxi dresses I don't where all the giants are that these things are supposed to fit!

Moving on, I have been doing a lot of research this week on trying to find a hair colour that has not been tested on animals.  You would think that would be fairly straight forward but it appears that unless you want to dye your hair violet, electric blue or green there is not a lot to go on as all articles direct you to these sorts of items.  That is great if that is what you are after but I just wanted a blonde shade.  I did find some good reports about Naturtint (available from Holland and Barrett) but then I read as many bad reviews and that put me off.

Well after seeing a comment that Boots do a lot of cruelty free as do Superdrug I had an aha moment as I already use the naturals make up from Boots and I knew that was ok and the body lotion from superdrug.  So I went off in person to see what I could find.

Here is what I came back with...

I will let you know how I get on with the colour, it is £3 pound cheaper than my usual as well and it may not lift as well and I will do a patch skin test first.  I also found Daniel Field are cruelty free and have really good reviews but you cannot lighten only add colour with those, worth remembering or one to try when I have more grey. The superdrug shampoo I bought is half price at the moment also.

It was a whirlwind visit to Meadowhall to get these items as I can't spend too long in there, back now so I really should do some more sorting. Now I saw a little video by Marie Kondo who said if I don't feel joy when I hold an item it has to go!  Well I don't know about that, because some days we would be throwing the whole contents of our wardrobe out wouldn't we?  I have not read her book has anyone else? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.   I am certainly trying to make more of a conscious effort to control the contents of the house, items just seem to breed don't they?

This Week

Just had a lovely long weekend despite the rubbish weather and I have resolved to always feel this gratitude whatever the weather is doing, I admit to being a bit of a summer girl and living in England this can result in disappointment.
Today I had a really good long walk in the pouring rain, and the trick is loud rock music and a good coat. Although when I got home my raincoat had let water through but never mind I just got changed.

Books this week, I have finished The Girl Who Fell from the  Sky, I started it a few weeks ago but as usual I have had a few on the go along side it, philosophy and crafts and stuff. I also read As A Man Thinketh  which came yesterday and I read this morning but it was short but amazing!  The third book I read was The Story this is a Christian book and worth reading if you are interested in this area/faith.

I really must try and read my books as I acquire them but I always tend to dip in and out of them. I've always been that way since I was a child, I always have a few on the go.

I have just added Semper app Semper to my tablet to help with learning Spanish vocab it is quite good as it gives you a little quiz every time you switch it on.

Currently listening to  'Away from The Sun, Three Doors Down', I've had this a month or so but just really getting into it now.  Also listening to lots of Snow Patrol today just enjoying them again right now.

Another thing this week is check lists, I fall in and out of doing these but I'm currently in favour of them as you sometimes feel you haven't accomplished much when really you have done an awful lot.  So as well as keeping you on track they also provide a bit of evidence just for you that no you haven't wasted your day, you achieved rather a lot and be proud!  So yes, ticking things off right now.

 Right off to watch Game of Thrones.

A Walk in the Sun and Fabric Bargains

Toady is such a lovely day that when I took the dogs out I decided to take a few pictures. It makes such a difference to my mood when the sun is shining that I have to get outside and enjoy some of it, we really do not get enough of it in England to let it go to waste!
There were lots of people in the park already at 10.00, dog walkers and people with children on bikes, I think everyone must have been waiting for this little bit of sunshine because I often don't see anyone when I'm walking in there and I find that odd.  The daffodils make me smile so I had to take a few photos of those.

Things are beginning to come alive and it reminds me that we have a new start every day, whatever happened yesterday we can be thankful for the day ahead and what we make of it. There were lots of beautiful daffodils in the park but I was struck by these here at the base of this old tree.

The sun coming through the trees was lovely but my camera didn't capture it fully, it will be nice to get out for more daylight walks. I just need to get my dogs walking nicely together, at the moment it is a constant battle for who can be out in front!

This little guy always wants to be in front.

Yesterday I had a trip into Barnsley and got some fabric for £2.99, it is supposed to be a slight second but the run in the fabric didn't come up while the assistant was cutting my piece.  I want to make a top, I really need to make more tops but I always look at the fabric and think mmm... I could get a dress out of that.  Then I wear jeans and think why haven't I got many tops?  So I need to stick to the plan this time.

I also bought a couple of concealed zips, some lining, a couple of metres of elastic in addition to the above fabric. It came to £8.08, so cheap in that shop!

I have a few other projects I need to get on with before I start on this though, that is why I bought the lining and zips. There is some fabric that has been in my sewing space since last year, I don't know why some of it gets left so long and other fabrics are used straight away it's a mystery.

Frugal Five this Week

I haven't done this for a while so I thought I should get back into the habit as it keeps me on track. It also gives you opportunities throughout the week to look for ways to save which is always a good idea for your pocket and the planet.

First off is card making, I really need to do more in advance so that birthdays and so on stop creeping up on me so I am on that this week and here are a couple I made for friends birthdays last week.

Next is food bargains,  we really have been better this year at not wasting so much food and I have to say I no longer have a load to throw out of the fridge when we have been shopping.  I think this is mainly due to always checking before we go out and making extra for the freezer.  This past week I have had two meals from the freezer that were a result of freezing the left over portion.  This comes in useful as I am often eating differently to the rest of the family ( due to the GF) so cooking just for me can be a pain.

We always check out the reduced section and this week we have got asparagus for 28p.

Citrus drink for 15p, we don't often buy pop but the children like it occasionally. We usually stick to dilute.

We bought a couple of bottles of this and it is really nice, not too sweet, from Asda.

I also got a 2.5kg bag of potatoes for 10p, a pineapple for 10p and three peppers for 49p.  All of these items were perfectly fine so it really is worth checking the reduced goods.

My next saving this week is  exercising, now for the past couple of years I have a swim card.  This did give me a good deal on savings while I was using it, I used to go two to three times a week and the yearly fee cost me less than if I went once a week.  However I let my membership lapse earlier this year as I was no longer enjoying going.

The timings when swim club wasn't on were awkward, there were a few times the showers were not working, when it was open to public it was getting very busy and you couldn't swim properly without getting stressed argh! The list goes on so I stopped.

I do think it's important to exercise so in addition to walking my dogs I do pilates from home using online videos and more recently this fabulous workout I found at  sweatybetty it is great you alternate intense exercise with a cardio and is well worth a look.  There is loads you can find for free, I'm not saying I will not use the pool ever again I'm just not going to tie in to a membership or make it a weekly must do.

Frugal  saving number four is my 2016 Diary which is the same as last year only with new inserts which can be found and printed here I used this last year and as you only use a bit of your diary most of the time what is the point in paying loads for a new one.  I find it is the notebook pages that get most use so just get one of your notebooks and add some diary inserts to the front or back section.

I tend to stick mine in along with a motivational picture, then add a book mark of a paperclip for the month we are on.

Finally my last item is my library books, I have had some great ones this year not all of which have been listed.  Irma Voth was a recent favourite, I am currently reading  How is the Internet Changing the Way You Think . I did not hit my target of a book a week but then some of them were much bigger and heavier reading than others.  I have also bought a few which I now think were unnecessary although not expensive but as I really can get most stuff from the library it is sometimes just impatience. This is something I will keep a check on in the new year, I do like to own favourites, but rarely read them again so maybe I need to start and photograph them along with a few notes and just keep this in a file? 

So there they are, my minor savings. Has anyone else still managed to have some frugal successes during the Christmas week?

My Random Ten

This list is inspired by Annie feel free to join in, I have read a few of these myself and they are great little snippets into peoples lives.

• I don't believe in people always telling it like it is, sometimes we need to be kind. If is not essential and nobody's life is in danger if you don't say that mean thing, then maybe don't say it.

• I love cheese which is odd as I cannot tolerate milk, cream or yoghurt but God decided to let  me get away with cheese. I am very grateful for that.  

• I am a Christian, currently between churches and a confirmed Catholic. Experience over the years has made me question the need to attend a specific place of worship but I read my bible and have a deep faith.  I am just not sure having a specific leader (usually a man) and a set of social activities centred around a church building makes anyone  a better Christian.

• Pets are good for you (unless you are allergic) I've not met one person who  hasn't smiled on seeing our new puppy and not just puppies our other two dogs bring such a lot to our lives.

Such joy in the moment, we all need a bit of that!

• I cannot read just one book at a time I don't know why maybe I have a little ADD. I always have some non- fiction plus a fiction title on the go and sometimes I will be dipping in and out of a book I'm re-reading. (weird I know)

• I long to be a morning person but I'm really not.  I have battled with this for years and it is a recurring new years resolution. I manage a week or two then it is back to hitting the snooze button. Anyone who has overcome this after years of failure please let me know.

• Music makes me smile it always has, rock is my favourite, it has to have guitars, electric, acoustic, you have to hear them. I am learning to play myself with the help of Justin 

• I don't know what I want to be when I grow up ( oh yes that already, happened well anyway!) I was a sewing machinist for many years, teaching assistant for the past nine years but only got into that as I wanted to teach, then talked myself out of that. I often look at University courses in textiles and design and wonder about if I'm too old?? Or maybe moving abroad and starting a holiday let?? You see I really do not know.

• I am an eternal beginner at Spanish! I know quite a bit now but not if a native speaker starts to quickly speak to me! I try and try but without conversational practice here I stick.

• There are so many things I am interested in I never know where to begin, I make lists, read motivational books, ( much to the amusement of my children ) but getting stuck in is a sticking point. I'm working on it! He, he!

New Puppy

I've been busy again this month but for a different reason, we have a new family member Marvin the jug. (half pug half Jack Russel)
He takes up a lot of time because you have to have your eye on him all the time, house training and making sure he is safe. Also as I have two other dogs I have to make sure he is not bothering them as he is young and very nippy at the moment!

He doesn't stay with my other two when we are out as I don't trust them together yet and it wouldn't be fair on the older two so he has his own pen in the hallway. So I hope to be sewing again soon, he just needs to calm down a little so I can take my eyes off him without him chasing the other two around the house!

Frugal things this week

As Easter is nearly here I get a lovely two weeks off work, this doesn't match up with the children's holiday very well as they don't finish until Thursday but it does mean I get chance to sort a few things while I am home. I have had more frugal weeks, this weeks expense mainly due to the fact that I went out on Friday night paying for taxi's home really annoys me as they are so expensive and a big chunk of the nights funds gone right there! Still I don't do it every week so I need to let that go.
So my first frugal thing is recycle a notebook to a Diary or vice versa. This years diary is a notebook I have had for a couple of years and I got it in the sale about £1.20, I stuck print out diary inserts in last year, pulled out the pages this year and did new ones, it has so many pages  there are loads left, plus pockets to put things in.  I also stuck in a little motivational image in the corner of each page and I have decorated some of the pages also, paper clipped things in etc.  Here is an image of some future months but they are plain at the moment as not yet used...

While I was tidying out my wardrobe I found an old  diary my husband bought a couple of years ago after Christmas because it was cheap 50p I think, it is A5 and I think I put it away and forgot about it (oops!) anyway there is plenty of useful paper in it so it will become a notebook.  You can stick something over the dates if it bothers you or doodle over them. I think I will stick a picture over the year on the front.

I hate for stuff to be wasted, and it is such a pretty book I suppose you could also stick ideas in for projects and use it like a scrap book.

The next thing is I am now a convert to washing stuff on rapid ( on my machine that is a 29 minute wash) I have washed on low temperature before but always felt surely the short wash wouldn't be enough.  I did a few loads earlier and one of the items was my son's light grey jeans that had a mark on the back from the park, I only thought I should have treated the stain once they were mid cycle but it has completely gone!  All this time thinking the washer had to run for one hour thirty or whatever it is, that should save some energy.

Repairing stuff is my next money saver of the week, I tend to do this anyhow but I had a dress with a button missing, a hole in some trousers (very small) that needed sorting before it got any bigger and a small hole in a hoody seam. Now these were all very simple repairs but so many people throw out such items due to some simple to fix defect.  

Organise your stuff, now I am not the best at this but I am tackling an area at a time. It is also easier to tidy and find stuff once you have done this so that is a good reason to do this yourself and not rely on  a cleaner.  I don't know why people waste money on cleaners but that is their business but I just wonder how they ever find their own stuff? I mean you put things away and then you tend to remember where as long as it is not buried under other things. If someone else does that for you they know your environment and have a mental stock take of your belongings better than you, I find that a bit odd.

Anyway while I was doing my own  cleaning/organising today I washed the cushions in my son's room, they didn't have an inner proper cushion just  stuffing and no fastener just tacked shut (they were cheap). So I just unpicked it on one side, washed them and put the stuffing back as it was all in a cushion shape.  I will add some velcro I think but for now I will just stitch closed as he wants them back! I will also make proper inner covers out of old shirts or something another day, maybe when he is at school this week.

 These also washed well on Rapid wash. 

I also made my own salsa today for everyone to have with  wraps, it works out a bit cheaper, you get loads more and you know it is all healthy with no additives or anything.

 I know I will spend the next couple of weeks thinking of extra ways to save to make back the money spent on that taxi! However on a final note  finding ways to save doesn't bother me as you have to make it into a game, there are lots of ways to be happy without spending lots of money just make sure you do something you love every day.